Gun-carrying vehicle



May 6, 1947; V E, P, LAMB 2,420,179

GUN-CARRYING VEHICLE Filed Dec. 6, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l mmvma. ERNESTELAM'EJ,

BY a awn/$22M ATTORNEYS.

May 6, 71947. E. P. LAMB GUN-CARRYING VEHICLE Filed Dec. 6, 1943 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 lwzzvrox ERNEETELAMB,

May 6, 1947. E. P. LAMB GUN-CARRYING VEHICLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Dec. 6, 1943 Elma/whom ERNEETE LAME,

Patented May 6, 1947 FFC GUN-CARRYIN G VEHICLE Ernest P. Lamb, Grosse Pointe, Mich, assignor to Chrysler Corporation, Highland Park, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Application December 6, 1943, Serial No. 513,113

1 Claim. 1

The present invention pertains to a novel guncarrying vehicle for military purposes. The principal object of the invention is to provide an assembly wherein the ammunition boxes carried by the vehicle are all within convenient reach of the gunner.

The body of the vehicle carries a box-structure along each of its longitudinal edges and disposed over the corresponding rear wheel. In each of these structures are formed two wells adapted each to receive an ammunition box or rack. Thus, the wells are disposed forwardly and rearwardly of the rear wheels.

The gun mount is fastened in a suitable manner upon the floor of the vehicle. In order to accomplish the stated object of the invention, the gun mount is positioned not at random but in a selected and advantageous position relatively to the ammunition box wells. More specifically, the pedestal of the gun mount is positioned in the longitudinal center of the floor and nearer to one pair of wells than to the other. For example, if the gun is to be directed generally over the rear end of the vehicle, the pedestal is positioned nearer the rear wells. The gunner, standing at the breech of the gun, is thus approximately equidistant from all four wells and capable of reaching any one of them with equal facility. Similarly, in the case of a forwardly directed gun, the pedestal would be nearer the forward wells. The ammunition boxes are provided with hinged covers and these open away from the gunners position in order not to interfere with his access to the open boxes.

The invention further includes a particular gun mount structure having a base secured to the floor and a pedestal mounted on the base. Also, reinforcing webs extend between the pedestal and the base, and certain of these webs are disposed transversely of the vehicle to constitute a shield for the gunner.

An illustrative embodiment of the invention is disclosed in the following description and in the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a motor truck equipped according to the invention;

Figure 2 is a detail, partly in longitudinal section;

Figure 3 is a plan view;

Figure 4 is a transverse section on the line 4-4 of Figure 3, and

Figure 5 is a section on the line 5-5 of Figure 4.

With reference now to the drawings in which like reference numerals are employed to indicate corresponding parts throughout, there is shown a motor truck comprising a body designated generally by the numeral I, mounted on wheels 2 in the usual manner. The body includes longitudinal frame members 3 to which are secured auxiliary longitudinal angle members 4 for supporting the floor as will be presently shown. Sills 5 are laid across opposite frame members 3, with cushioning materials 5' interposed. A floor structure 6 is laid on the sills 5 as clearly shown in Figures 4. and 5. Upon the floor is laid the flat base 6' of a gun pedestal, as will presently be described.

The floor 6 and base 6 are secured to the angle members 6 by two longitudinal series of bolts I. The bolts pass through spacers or bushings 8 in the floor 6, and the lower surface of the latter is relieved or undercut at 9 around the members 8. Additional bolts ill in transverse rows secure the transverse edges of the base 6 to the floor 6 and retain at their lower ends a pair of reinforcing transverse angle bars H. Longitudinal rails l2, preferably of metal, are mounted in spaced relation in the floor 6, extending beneath the base 6, and secured by any suitable means indicated generally by the numeral I3 in Figure 3.

At each side of the floor structure and over each of the rear wheels is mounted a box-like structure l4 having a lower cavity it: (Figure 1) serving as a fender for the rear Wheel. At each side of the rear wheel, each structure l4 has a transverse partition I6 co-operating with the adjacent end and side walls to form a well H. An opening [8 is formed in the structure over each of the wells for insertion of an ammunition box or rack I9. The latter has a cover 28 hinged at 2|, as shown in Figures 1 and 2.

It has been stated that the base 6 is associated with the pedestal of a gun mount. The latter includes a vertical cylinder '22 secured upon the base 6' by any suitable means such as welding and reinforced by suitably disposed webs 23 and 24 similarly secured to both the pedestal and the base. It may be seen in Figures 3 and 4 that the webs 23 are aligned transversely of the vehicle, thereby partially shielding the gunner who normally stands forward of these webs.

The gun is illustrated in dot-dash lines of Figure 1 and is indicated by the numeral 25. It is provided with a cradle 26 having a depending stub or plug 21 rotatably mounted in the upper end of the pedestal 22.

The pedestal 22 is located in a selected and advantageous relation to the wells I! for the ammunition boxes. It may be seen in Figure 3 that the pedestal is located midway between the structures l4 and nearer the rear wells than the forward wells. Thus the gunner, standing forward of the webs 23 as previously set forth, is disposed at approximately equal reaching distance from each of the wells and may conveniently take ammunition from any one of the four boxes. It will be seen in Figures 1 and 3 that the rear boxes open rearwardly and the forward boxes forwardly in order that the covers, when raised, will not interfere with access to the boxes.

A particular embodiment of the invention has been illustrated and described, nevertheless it will be understood that various operations in the details of construction may be made without departing from the scope of the invention as indicated by the appended claim.

What I claim is:

In a vehicle of the class described, the combination of longitudinal side frame members for the chassis, transversely disposed floor sills extending between and supported by said side frame members, cushioning material interposed between said side frame members and said floor sills, flooring mounted on said floor sills, angle irons disposed longitudinally along said side frame members and each having a substantially vertically disposed leg depending substantially from the underside of said flooring below said floor sills and rigidly affixed to the side frame member associated therewith, each of said angle irons having a substantially horizontally disposed leg at the upper end of the substantially vertically disposed leg thereof, a base for a pedestal gun mount, a gun pedestal rigidly affixed to said base, the latter being disposed on said flooring and extending above said substantially horizontally disposed legs of said angle irons, a row of bushings inserted in the flooring along each of said horizontal legs of said angle irons and rigidly spacing the superposed portion of said base from said horizontal legs, attaching elements extending through said bushings and rigidly securing said horizontal legs and the superposed portion of said base together in firm abutment against the ends of said bushings, other angle irons extending transversely beneath the flooring and the superposed base, and attaching elements securing the base to the latter angle irons.

ERNEST P. LAMB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,269,667 Williams June 18, 1918 1,381,378 Wilkins June 4, 1921 1,480,247 Dove Jan. 3, 1924 1,079,856 Hayn et al. Nov. 25, 1913 2,197,816 Tate Apr. 23, 1940 1,004,887 McClean Oct. 3, 1911 1,194,111 Wood Aug. 8, 1916 1,218,458 Polite Mar. 6, 1917 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 540,825 British Oct. 31, 1941 491,187 French Jan. 25, 1919 

